1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of sanitation and more specifically relates to sanitation trays.
2. Description of the Related Art
Trays are used to hold laboratory equipment and instruments as they are put through a sanitation/sterilization cycle in a machine such as a dishwasher or an autoclave. These types of trays are commonly used in hospitals, laboratories, and other industrial settings. A typical tray suited for this purpose usually comprises sides and a bottom and occasionally a lid and is generally designed to fit inside a sanitizing machine such as an autoclave or dishwasher. Equipment and instruments used in laboratory or hospital settings such as an operating room are commonly made of a sturdy material such as stainless steel. These tools are designed to be reused once they have gone through a rigorous sanitation process to remove chemical or organic material and pathogens after use. Sanitation machines such as autoclaves or dishwashers are designed to accommodate a variety of tools that are different shapes and sizes and numbers. Typical tools include surgical instruments such as scalpels, hemostats, needles or probes, and glassware such as Ehrlenmeyer flasks, beakers, or cylinders. The above mentioned equipment must be sanitized before and after being used. This is usually accomplished by placing the equipment or instrument in a tray and subjecting the equipment or instrument to a sanitation protocol (such as exposure to extreme temperatures, detergents, or chemicals) for a period of time.
Current sanitization trays are typically one-piece constructions with vent holes that do not have sufficient porosity to permit heat, steam, and other sterilants to permeate the system thoroughly. This also permits sterilants to pool around the instruments within the system, which decreases proper sanitation and increases drying time. Another significant problem with current sanitation tray systems is that particulate matter and blood borne pathogens are not sufficiently removed because there is a significant amount of surface area within the system such that particulate matter (which can include blood borne pathogens or other contaminants and biohazardous material) can pool or get caught in the tray and remain after sanitizing is complete.
Various attempts have been made to provide an effective means for sanitization using a tray. These attempts do not provide adequate means for sterilant flow because they are formed from sheets of material with a number of holes in them. This results in inadequate santization and pooling of sterilants and increases the risk of contamination when the tray is removed from the sanitizing means. These attempts are also not user customizable nor are they readily assemblable or disassemblable, nor can the dimensions be user-specified.
For example, some sanitation trays include a floor fitted into a base and holders to secure instrumentation inside. However, these types of trays have certain disadvantages. They are not modular, stackable with other sizes of trays, nor are they customizable according to user specifications. Further, typical sanitation trays are molded or cut out from a solid piece of material (such as a sheet of metal or block of plastic) whereby portions are carved away until a tray is formed. Sanitation is achieved via these holes. In contrast, the modular sanitation tray is created from empty space using only the minimal amount of material needed to give support to the instruments therein.
Current attempts at stackable trays are similarly flawed. They are not user customizable nor are they modular. Further, these trays are commonly “one size fits all”, meaning that the user of a tray is limited to the number and type of instruments he may cleanse in a single cycle of his particular type of sanitation machine. Thus, there is a need for the user to be able to customize his sanitation tray to accommodate his particular set of laboratory equipment. Further, these trays are typically made of a solid piece of metal with holes drilled for aeration. This method of construction similarly has the disadvantage of an increased surface area which increases the opportunity for pooling sterilants and particulate matter retention as well as decreased drying time. None of the current sanitation trays available sufficiently overcomes the problem of an increased surface area nor are they readily assemblable and disassemblable. Further, they cannot be customized to the user's specifications. Ideally, a sanitation tray system should operate reliably as a safe storage means for laboratory and medical equipment as it undergoes the sanitation process. At the same time, a need exists for a durable, customizable, modular system that minimizes the surface area such equipment remains in contact with during the sanitation process.
Thus, what is needed is a sanitation tray system that permits the user to select the size and shape of the system to accommodate his or her individual needs that can be manufactured at a modest expense. There is a need for a sanitation tray that is durable, lightweight, cheap, easy to use, and customizable with surface area to maximize sanitation and minimize drying time. There is also a need for a tray system that permits the user to sanitize many instruments of varying shapes and sizes at the same time without jeopardizing sanitation or sacrificing drying time.
The current invention overcomes these problems in several ways. Ideally, a sanitation tray system should be cheap and easy to manufacture and be customizable to the user's specifications. It should be easily assemblable and disassemblable and incorporate as little surface area as possible to reduce the risks of pooled sterilants and/or left-behind particulate matter. Thus, a need exists for a customizable sanitation tray that can maximize sterilant flow without sacrificing structural integrity and be manufactured at modest expense, easy to ship, and easy to assemble and/or disassemble according to the user's specific needs.
One of the purposes of modular sanitation tray system is to maximize sanitation. One of the ways the system accomplishes this goal is to reduce the amount of surface area in the system. In this manner, the opportunity for residual contaminants and improper cleansing is decreased, while the “total kill” potential of the sanitation machine and the modular sanitation tray system is maximized to allow for complete sanitation. Another purpose of modular sanitation tray system is to provide an easily assemblable tray system that is capable of simultaneously sanitizing groups of laboratory equipment that vary in size, shape, and height.